Prospect Watch: Jamonta Black (2019)
Class of 2019 shooting guard Jamonta Black of Columbia Rock Bridge is a smooth shooting guard who has emerged as one of the top prospects in the state in his class.
The 6’4″ Black has a combination of size, versatile skills and the ability to score at all three levels. He has attracted collegiate interest from schools such as Western Illinois, SIUE, Abilene Christian, East Tennessee State, Tennessee-Chattanooga, UMKC and Tulsa. He is a talented scorer who can also facilitate for his teammates.
“My offense is smooth and simple,” Black said. “I don’t try to do too much with my moves. I just get simple easy buckets. I love making the right play for my teammates and getting them going before I try to do my thing.”
During the high school season, Black plays on a very talented and young Rock Bridge team that finished 22-5 and advanced to the Class 5 state quarterfinals last season. At Rock Bridge, he plays alongside heralded classmates Isiaih Mosley and Dajuan Black.
During the summer, Black played with the Gateway Basketball Club 16U team that competed in the Adidas Gauntlet Series. That is where Black had a chance to emerge and show what a talented player he is in his own right. On a team full of athletic wing players, Black still managed to stand out with his versatile offensive game.
“Playing for Gateway really helped my game tremendously,” Black said. “A lot of people didn’t really believe I could perform at a high level, so playing with Gateway opened a lot of people’s eyes because I performed well against top competition. My shooting has gotten a lot better and more consistent. I attack the rim a lot harder and I’m more explosive.”
As he returns for his junior season, Black is looking forward to teaming up with his classmates to help Rock Bridge take the next step in the postseason, which is to make the Final Four of the state tournament.
“My goal this season is that me and my brothers Dajuan and Isiaih really carry this team to the Final Four and win the state championship,” he said. “With the three of us, we can really be hard to stop. We just have to believe and we can get it done.”